Truly Whipped
by Enter the Extinct Age
Summary: my most unusual pairing...R/Pa- Hogwarts students are paired up for Hogsmeade trips in an attempt to create a more united school. what horrors will come of this? cliche I know, but please review, I promise it's worth the read!
1. Beg to Differ

This is the most unusual pairing I've _ever_ done (and I write D/G…), so I won't mind if you flame me for absurdity.  Maybe one-shot…depends on the feedback. :)

--

        "Quit shoving!" 

        "Move your Longbottom Neville, I can't see!"

        "Why am I so short?!?" 

        Ron turned to his sister on that statement.  "You're not _that short," he tried to reassure her, but Ginny looked up from her full five foot frame and glared at him.  _

        "Don't tell me I'm not short Ronald _Archibald," she taunted, jumping to try and see what everyone else was.  Ron reddened as Malfoy and his cronies overheard her._

        "Archibald?!? That's _priceless!" Malfoy was gasping.  Ron clenched up his fists and was about to teach Malfoy a good lesson when one of his best friends grabbed him by the arm._

        "We can't afford to lose the points Ron," Hermione said in his ear quietly.  "You know he'll just rat you out to Snape and then you're disemboweling Blast Ended Skrewts until graduation."  Ron made a face at the imagery. 

        "Thanks Hermione, I'll be carrying that around with me all day," he replied grumpily.  Hermione rolled her eyes and started shoving her way toward the front.  Harry came up behind Ron.

        "What's going on?" he asked sleepily, still tired from the previous day's Quidditch match (he had won of course).  Ron shrugged, clueless.

        "Dunno…I came down for toast, Flitwick tacks something up there and next thing you know people are swarming like bloody bees," Ron said biting into his burnt toast.  He winced as the black bread scratched his throat on the way down.  "It's bollocks, the house elves are even in such a frenzy that they can't even do toast proper."  Hermione, who had elbowed her way back, heard this last part and glared at him.

        "Well what if they don't want to do your toast Ron?" she asked, eyes flashing dangerously.  Ron moaned and hid behind Harry.

        "Don't let her get me mate she's mental," came the muffled cry.  Harry and Hermione laughed and Ron, hearing this, reemerged.  "Laugh now, but just wait 'til she claws you," he muttered to Harry, who sniggered.  Hermione rolled her eyes.

        "All joking aside, there's been a post up-"

        "Fab observational skills," Ron commented dryly, making Hermione glare at him yet again.  He shut up.  

        "_Anyway_, it's one of those partner assignments where you have to go in with someone in a different house to Hogsmeade," Hermione finished explaining.  Ron and Harry looked apprehensive, but before they could say anything Fred and George had pushed their way into their little circle.  

        "In other words, a 'let's-make-daisy-chains-and-dance-around-in-a-circle-holding-hands sort of gig," Fred said cheekily, making Hermione swat at him with her bag.  

        "It's going to be hell- whoever heard of such a cliché way of getting the students to make nice?" George commented glumly.  

        "It can't be that bad, I'll just bag Orla Quirke or something," Ron said, stopping for a moment to think about the inky haired Ravenclaw dreamily.  He was brought roughly back to earth with Hermione's laughter. 

        "Well, if you're expecting an Orla you're gravely mistaken," she giggled.  Ron raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

        "Explain."  

        "They've _assigned  our partners you sod," she replied, fighting not to burst out laughing._

        "Yeah, I got Cho Chang," George cut in proudly.  

        Harry abruptly stopped laughing at Ron's expression and looked at George.  "Cho Chang?  The Ravenclaw seeker?"  George nodded. 

        "Shouldn't be too bad then, eh?" he said to Harry's dumbfounded expression, before winking and strutting away.  Fred rolled his eyes at the retreating back of his twin.

        "Won't he throw a fit when he find out I got Carlotta Jordan?" Fred told them in a loud stage whisper.  The three laughed and watched as Fred caught up to his twin and started talking to him.  Carlotta "Lottie" Jordan was Lee Jordan's younger sister, in sixth year.  She was a Ravenclaw, hung out with Cho and her group and had milky brown skin coupled with piercing brown eyes; quite a few guys fancied her.

        "George will have kittens," Hermione muttered fondly.  Ron nodded and chuckled.  "Well anyway, I got Terry Boot.  He's pretty nice," she said, referring to the Ravenclaw bookworm in their year.  Ron and Harry nodded politely, but Harry couldn't stand the curiosity. 

        "Don't keep me in suspense 'Mione, who'd I get?" Harry asked eagerly.  Hermione squinted, straining to remember.  "Oh come off it, don't tell me you didn't check!"

        "No I did, I'll remember it in a second I'm sure I know it- oh yeah, Hannah Abbott."  Harry turned this over in his mind.  Hannah wasn't necessarily a beautiful girl, but she was very nice and friendly.  

        "Could definitely be worse," he declared, looking over at where Hannah was talking to her friends excitedly.  Ron on the other hand was laughing his red hair off.

        "Hannah Abbott?  That's a laugh," he chortled.  Hermione raised an eyebrow and stepped in front of him, with a smirk that didn't look much different from Malfoy's, and said two words that made Ron shut up completely.  

        "Pansy Parkinson."  Ron's jaw dropped, the remainders of his burnt toast falling out of his hand.  Hermione grinned.  "Who's laughing now?"

--

        "It's not bloody fair!" Ron was howling an hour later in the Common Room while Harry and Hermione attempted to play chess.  "Why couldn't they just shove her with Malfoy or something?  I'm sure _he doesn't mind seeing her squashed face.  He did go to the Ball with her."_

        "Because Ron," Hermione said wearily for what seemed like the hundredth time, "he's in her house.  You're not."  Her attention was temporarily diverted when she took Harry's castle. "Ha! See, I _can _play chess!"

        "Bugger," Harry muttered, looking at the board closely.

        "Um earth to Hermione?  You're playing against _Harry," Ron pointed out irritably.  Hermione chose not to answer this.  "Seriously though, Pansy Parkinson?!?  It's insane.  I just won't go to Hogsmeade.  Do bring me back some Fizzing Whizzbees won't you?" he asked Harry and Hermione semi-sarcastically.  Harry sighed as he knocked one of Hermione's pawns off the board and onto the floor.  _

        Ignoring Hermione's shriek of protest, he turned to reassure his friend.  "Look, at least you didn't get someone like Malfoy."

        "I got the female version!" Ron moaned.  "Besides, they're pairing it up boy girl so that wasn't even possible."  His friends couldn't find anything to say to that, so they just rolled their eyes and tuned out Ron's complaining so that they could continue their game.  

        Ginny Weasley suddenly came through the portrait hole and slammed it as hard as she could.  A faint 'ow!' came from the Fat Lady, but no one paid it any mind.  She looked livid, making no one want to approach her.  Hermione looked up and saw Ginny.  "What's up Gin?" she asked curiously.

        "Draco bloody Malfoy!  Draco _sodding _Malfoy!  Draco _ruddy Malfoy!" she ranted, not noticing the I-Told-You-So looks that Hermione and Harry were giving an abashed Ron.  "That stupid ferret is my bloody partner!  This is such shit!"_

        "Ginny!" Ron said, shocked that his sister knew such language.  In unison, Harry, Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes (now becoming quite tired from all the rolling).

        "Don't be stupid Ron, I do know curse words you know- I'm 14."  Ron scowled but didn't comment.  

        "You don't have Pansy Parkinson," Ron said to her gloomily.  Ginny shrugged, indifferent.

        "She's not half as bad as Peroxide on Ice," she replied as she walked past them up to the girls dormitories.  Harry and Hermione turned to Ron. 

        "Well all right it's not as bad as that, but it's still really bad!" he argued to their expressions.

--

         That Saturday was a Hogsmeade Saturday.  It had taken Harry and Hermione an hour to persuade Ron to come out of his room, and an hour and a half for Ginny (thus proving herself to be just as, if not more, stubborn than her brother).  Ron had grudgingly agreed not to wear the lacy dress robes in an attempt to scare Pansy away and Ginny was convinced not to turn Draco into a bread roll (however tempted Harry and Hermione were to let her).  And so, after hours of whining and preparation, all the Gryffindors were ready to go down to the Great Hall where they would meet their partners.  Ron, Hermione and Harry all sat down on one end of the Gryffindor table with Ginny as Dumbledore began to speak.

        "This year, more than ever, it's important to get along with those we don't know well," he announced into the tense Hall, his eyes flickering from the Gryffindor to the Slytherin table.  "I only ask that we don't get an influx of Hospital Wing visits and that no pranks be pulled on your partners."  Out of the corner of his eye, Ron could see his brothers scowl and empty their pockets of Canary Creams.  Next to him, Ginny was making a similar facial expression as she took an Acid Pop out of her robe pocket reluctantly.  Ron glared at the Acid Pop; the memory of Fred giving him one was ever vivid.  "And so, I bid you adieu…have a wonderful time!"  The students started clamoring to get to the carriages but Dumbledore held up his hands again.  "Terribly sorry, but I quite forgot to mention that we have teachers stationed around Hogsmeade so that you can't…ah…'ditch' your partners," Dumbledore said, using an American term.  There were some audible groans as they started filing out.  

        Hermione waved goodbye as she walked over to a shy looking Terry, who gave her a weak smile and started walking with her towards the carriages.  Harry spotted Hannah and was about to walk over to her but found he couldn't- he had a latch-on.

        "Don't leave me with her mate!" Ron pleaded, looking over his shoulder frantically to where an impatient looking Pansy was standing.  "Look, I'll give you my Chudley Cannons poster if you switch!" Harry laughed and shook his head and Ron's hand off.

        "No way, but thanks anyway."  Ron fumed as he watched his supposed 'best friend' walk towards a glowing Hannah Abbott.  He closed his eyes and counted to 10 very slowly and carefully, before turning around and walking up to Pansy.  He had just opened his mouth to say hello when he saw Malfoy and Ginny.  

        "You do anything to her you git and I'll show your wand up your arse," Ron yelled threateningly as Malfoy smirked back at him.  Ginny looked positively miserable, a good foot shorter than Malfoy.  

        "Don't worry Weasel, I'll get little sis back to you by curfew," he shot back, snickering.  Ron's face darkened, but he just watched helplessly as they left the Great Hall.  Pansy's voice brought him back to the present dilemma.

        "So what are we going to do?"

--

        "Are you _insane??" Pansy said heatedly, clutching the sides of the shaking carriage as if afraid she'd fall out._

        "What?  The Cannons are going really well this year," Ron defended, glaring at her.  Justin Finch-Fletchley and Sally-Anne Perks, their carriage-mates, looked at them a little warily as the bickering continued.

        Pansy scoffed.  "Oh yeah, twentieth in the league is really _excellent Weasley," she said sarcastically.  "Really __smashing.  Maybe they'll win Worst in the League- their first award, won't that be exciting?"  _

        "Oh what do you know about Quidditch anyway?" Ron asked rhetorically as he looked out the window.  "You're just a girl."  Pansy's eyes went wide with disbelief.

        "Did you really just say that Weasley, or are you mumbling nonsense?" she asked incredulously.  "_Just a girl??_  Some of the best Quidditch players are girls!"

        "But you're not one of them are you?  Since when have you been on the Quidditch team?" Ron retorted angrily as they got out of the carriage and continued fighting as if nothing had happened.  Sally-Anne and Justin scurried away as quickly as possible, leaving the two enraged teenagers on their own.  

        "Well I would've been if Draco hadn't bribed the bloody team!" Pansy shrieked, then clasping her hand over her mouth.  Ron looked satisfied.

        "So he _did bribe them!" he said gleefully.  "Oh, he's going to wish he was never born the scum…" Ron started joyfully thinking of all the ways he could blackmail him when Pansy interrupted his thoughts yet again._

        "But you can't tell him I told you!" she said, horrified.  Ron was stunned to see that her previously confident and smug face had turned slack and terrified.  

        "Why not?" he asked as they walked down the street, not noticing Professor Delacour (their new DADA teacher) watching them like a hawk- a new thing for Ron, who made it his priority to make his presence known in her class.  

        "You just can't ok?" Pansy snapped, looking at the snow dusted ground.  There was silence for a little while.  

        "It's not like he'd kill you," Ron said after awhile, then immediately regretted it as Pansy's face went paler.  "Oh God…err, Sorry about that, umm well look I won't tell all right?" he told her awkwardly.  Pansy didn't look up, but let him know she heard him.

        "Thanks Weasley." 

        Ron shrugged uncomfortably.  At that point they were outside the Three Broomsticks.  "I'm cold," Ron announced.  "I'm going in to get a Butterbeer."  Pansy groaned but was helpless to stop him as he walked quickly in the door; Pansy looked to her left, saw Professor Snape, and scampered in after him.  Ron went up to Madam Rosmerta as Pansy unwrapped the scarf around her head and looked around.  "On-" he stopped and looked behind him at Pansy, who was flushed red from the cold.  "Two Butterbeers."  Pansy looked up and raised an eyebrow.  Ron rolled his eyes.

        "You're paying for the bloody thing," he said gruffly as he sat down at a nearby table.  

        "I should hope so," Pansy replied, sitting across from him.  They looked around; there were flocks of students, with their partners, nestled into their private booths and generally being happy.  In unison, Ron and Pansy scowled when their eyes fell upon Ginny and Draco in a large booth.  Ginny looked incredibly uncomfortable, squashed next to Draco and being dwarfed by the towering Slytherins that had dragged their unfortunate partners over to Draco's table as well.

        "What a prat," Pansy mumbled, leaning back and crossing her arms.  Ron narrowed his eyes at the blond, now sniggering at a joke Adrian Pucey was telling him.  Ginny was rolling her eyes and checking her watch every two seconds.

        "Yeah," Ron agreed, turning back around to face Pansy.  Instead of being faced with a squashed nose pug like he had expected, he was surprised with a slightly flushed blonde with rather pretty green eyes.  Pansy saw the expression of surprise on his face.

        "What is it Weasley?" she snapped angrily, making Ron jump.  He scowled. 

        "Nothing Parkinson," he replied evenly.  Pansy tapped her foot against the table beam impatiently, making it rock back and forth.  Ron made a face but didn't say anything.  Madam Rosmerta came up with two Butterbeers in frosty mugs.  

        "Two Butterbeers," she announced, setting them down.  Ron handed her five Sickles while Pansy rummaged in her purse for some money.  She came out triumphant with a Galleon and dropped it into Rosmerta's waiting hands.  

        "Keep the change," she smirked.  Madam Rosmerta pocketed it and smiled, hustling away to serve her next customer.  

        "So," Ron said shortly.  

        "So," Pansy said back.  

        "Um…so what are your hobbies?" Ron blurted out.  Realizing how stupid this sounded, he went red.  Pansy actually laughed.

        "Relax Weasley, I'm just as uncomfortable as you are," she assured him.  This made Ron feel slightly better.  "I think it's a mutual understanding that we can't stand the other, so we don't have to go there."  Ron nodded gratefully.

        "Good," he said, relieved.  

        "…I like Quidditch, dancing, and singing," she said, making Ron temporarily confused but he soon realized she was answering his previous question.   "You?"

        "Quidditch, hiking and umm…eating," he said, making Pansy snort as she drank her Butterbeer.  She grasped for a napkin and wiped her mouth, laughing.

        "Eating, Weasley?" she spluttered, cleaning up the mess.  Ron raised an eyebrow.

        "And the criticism comes from the girl who spat her drink up?" he countered.  Pansy narrowed her eyes and crumpled the napkin up in her hand.  

        "This coming from the guy who wears robes that look like they've gone through a shredder?" she replied angrily.  Ron's usually laughing eyes went dark.  

        "Well that's hardly my fault is it?" he yelled back, not realizing quite how loud he was.  

        "You could at least make a decent effort to look presentable," she said, leaning back in her chair and sounding an awful lot like Ron's mum.  He decided to voice that thought.

        "God Parkinson, you sound just like my mum!" 

        "That dumpy little witch? Hardly," she snorted.  Ron sprang up from his seat, both hands on the table in rage.  

        "If you weren't a girl, I'd hit you square in the jaw," he threatened.  Pansy got up too, green eyes ablaze.  

        "What is this with you and the sexist girl comments?  Come on then, punch me!" she challenged.  The bar was a little muted now, looking at the two furious teens.  Draco Malfoy, walking with Ginny at his side, looked at them and smirked.  

        He muttered to Ginny, "Looks like your brother's about to get truly whipped by Pans."  Ginny looked up at him with angry eyes.

        "I beg to differ my albino companion, but it'll probably be the other way 'round."  They stopped at the door as Draco looked down at the fiery redhead.

        "Truthfully, I don't care either way.  Let's go."  Ginny shrugged and walked out the door.

        Meanwhile, Pansy and Ron were having a full fledged verbal fight.  "I'm not going to bloody punch you!" he was bellowing.

        "Well why the hell not?" she taunted.  

        "BECAUSE WE'RE IN A PUBLIC PLACE!" he roared.  "We're in a public place," he repeated much more quietly.  They looked around, embarrassed, as some of the students started laughing. Pansy grabbed her scarf and cloak and looked at Ron angrily.

        "Let's just get out of here," she said.  Ron didn't hesitate to obey this request, as he picked up his cloak hurriedly and rush out of the restaurant with Pansy not far ahead.

--

        "Do you think these carriages come early to pick people up?" Pansy asked Ron, teeth chattering.

        "How should I know?" Ron said frustratedly, shivering.  "I'm not a bloody Seer."  

        "No need to get all narked about it," Pansy said, rolling her eyes.  "Jesus Weasley, you are something else."

        "I don't want to go into what _you are Parkinson, but it definitely is something else."  Pansy scowled at this, but decided (wisely) not to comment.  In the distance, she saw a moving dot that was almost certainly a carriage.  _

        "Finally!" she cheered, jumping up and down in order to see it.  Ron raised an eyebrow and took a step back.

        "Cool it, it's just a ruddy carriage," he said.

        "But it's a ruddy carriage that'll take us back," she said logically.  

        "Well when you put it that way…" Ron started jumping up and down too, making the two look from far away like a pair of overexcited jackrabbits.  

--

        "…and _then we went to that new branch of Flourish and Blotts that just opened and bought quills!" Hermione exclaimed ecstatically, taking out a large red feathered quill.  Harry, Ron and Ginny (all sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room) made faces._

        "Whoo hoo," Ron said flatly.  Hermione put the quill in her lap looking at them all. 

        "OK, who want to tell about theirs now?"  Harry raised his hand.  "How about you Harry?"  They laughed.

        "You'd think you're a teacher," Harry said grinning.  Hermione hit him with a pillow; Harry laughed and straightened himself up.  "No seriously- Hannah and I basically just hung around the Shrieking Shack and talked.  She's really nice."  

        "Ooooooh," Ron teased, taking a large bite of some chocolate he had found in his cloak pocket.  

        "Oh shut it," Harry said, hitting him with the pillow Hermione had used to hit him with.  Ron ducked it and grinned.  "So how was your lovely day Gin?" Harry asked Ginny hastily, seeing the mischievous look in Ron's eye.  

        "Dreadful," she replied dramatically.  "Malfoy dragged me to sit with his cronies at the Three Broomsticks, where they swapped naughty jokes and ignored the rest of us completely.  But afterwards we went to Zonko's which wasn't so bad- he took a sampling of Cockroach Cluster."  They all laughed; the idea of the look on Malfoy's face when he bit into the Cluster. 

        "Well at least you didn't make a public stage show of it," Ron said glumly.  Harry and Hermione's interest peaked.

        "Public stage show?  Do tell," Hermione squealed, putting away her new quill.  

        "Basically, we both went off our rocker.  She's a nightmare, honestly."  Hermione mock frowned.

        "Now where have I heard that one before?" she said, pretending to be puzzled.  Ron flushed, remembering his hasty remark in their first year.  "It's fine Ron relax.  Are you sure you gave her a fair chance though?" she said seriously.  Ron couldn't believe his ears.

        "Hermione, this is _Pansy Parkinson we're talking about.  No fair chances involved, anywhere!"  Hermione sighed and leaned back in her chair.  _

        "Whatever you say Ron."  Ginny looked at him and grinned.      

        "So did she have you truly whipped then?" 

        Her response was a pillow in the face.


	2. Skulk, Stalk, Slink

**A/N: **Special thanks to **Alias** for her very helpful advice!  Everyone who reads this, please review!!!  They make my day. :)

        My portrayal of Blaise in this story is way different than usual- be forewarned.  Actually, the Pansy in this is more like my usual Blaise…anyway, carry on. 

--

        The four had continued talking about their excursions in Hogsmeade (both good and bad) well into the night, mostly laughing at Ginny and Ron's and yawning at Hermione's, much to her irritation.  Harry had mostly remained quiet about his meeting with Hannah.  This made Hermione and Ron rather curious, but on the other hand, it didn't seem to please Ginny too much.

        "Well, I'm knackered," Ron announced, getting up and yawning widely.  Harry grinned mischievously.  

        "I didn't think you'd be able to stretch your mouth too much after yelling at Parkinson so much," he said teasingly.  Ron just glared at him, bid goodnight to Hermione and Ginny exclusively and trudged up to his dorm.  

        Having reached his bed, he collapsed on it face first, head in the pillow.  Ron lay there like a stiff board for some time, straining his ears to hear if Harry was coming up.  This was made very difficult by Neville and Seamus' gargantuan snores, paired with Dean's gnashing teeth.  This was maddening.  "Bloody hell," he muttered sighing, rolling over onto his back.  He looked up at the bed 'ceiling', exhausted.  That Parkinson sure knew how to get him infuriated!

        It had been a long, trying day for Ronald Archibald Weasley.

--

        "Complete nightmare.  I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking."  Pansy took a long sip of the Butterbeer Blaise Zabini had brought up for her.  "This whole project is insane."  Blaise giggled.  

        "Well _I had a good time."  Pansy scowled._

        "Of course _you did, you got paired up with Seamus bloody Finnegan!  For a Gryff he's not half bad looking," Pansy said scowling, thinking of the sandy haired, blue eyed Irish boy.  Blaise wound a strand of black hair around her finger._

        "Yeah…" she agreed, trailing off dreamily and leaning against the Slytherin balcony rail.  Pansy narrowed her eyes and pushed her slightly.  Blaise shrieked.

        "Oh for pity's sakes, you're a sorry excuse for one of us," Pansy (the Leader) sneered, motioning towards the 'us' in question to Blaise (the Giggler): Millicent Bulstrode (the Brawn), Carmen LaFuetes (the Looker) and Tawny Flint (the Whiner), Marcus Flint's equally repulsive little sister.  They all blinked at her, obviously not having been listening.  "Oh great, have you been at it with the fags again?" Pansy asked exasperatedly, smelling the tobacco smoke.  Millicent shook her head sluggishly (being the equivalent of Vincent Crabbe, she couldn't be trusted to use a lighter without setting something on fire), but Carmen and Tawny rolled their eyes and stubbed the cigarettes out under their heels.  "That's just a filthy habit- makes your teeth yellow."  

        "I can't help it Pansy," said Tawny, only semi-apologetic in her high voice.  "The stuff's addictive!"

        "Maybe that's why they put warning labels on the bloody package!" Pansy yelled suddenly, making Tawny shut her mouth quickly.  "Thank you, I could be spared the headache.  You lot haven't been so annoying since we got interviews with Rita Skeeter, and all you wanted to do was talk, talk, talk…didn't matter though did it?" She smiled smugly.  "She only used _my words."_

        "You didn't let us get a word in edgeways!" Blaise protested, but was stopped by Pansy's manicured nail.  

        "Not another word," she growled, turning to lean on the banister.  The other girls exchanged mocking looks behind her back and then, giggling, ran back into the Common Room.  Pansy sighed in complete frustration and buried her head in her hands.  "This is so pointless," she muttered, trying not to inhale the horrid stench of smoke left over from Carmen and Tawny.  She thought back to that afternoon- what an _ape that Weasley was!  "'You're only a girl'", she mimicked in disgust.  "'You sound just like my mum!' Prat."  Downing the rest of her Butterbeer, she let the empty bottle go over the side of the balcony and watched it fall lazily._

        _Crash._

*

        There was probably only person that Pansy hated more than Ron Weasley, Granger, or Draco at the time breakfast came around the next day.  For once, on the top of her list that morning was Albus Dumbledore.  She glared unashamedly at him as she past his table to get to her own; all she received in return was a friendly smile and twinkling wink.  She scowled deeper than she had been before and sat down heavily at her table.

        Being sexist, being an overall superior bitch or just being plain arrogant didn't seem quite as bad when Pansy compared the three main banes of her life to Dumbledore.  _He _had shoved her with Weasley, and knowing him it was on purpose.  Bad temperedly, Pansy dug at her porridge with her spoon messily, letting it gloop over the edges of the bowl and onto the immaculate green tablecloth.  Normally this would have bothered normally neat-freak Pansy, but that morning she was too preoccupied to care.  Draco Malfoy looked up from his waffles and laughed nastily at her.

        "What's the matter Pans, too tired from yesterday?"  A ripple of sniggers went up and down the Slytherin table.  Pansy turned her glare on him.  

        "I'm surprised you came down at all Draco," she replied cordially.  "You must be done in after all the shagging with Weaslette."  Sniggers quickly evolved into loud guffaws, making members of other houses turn around and stare, but made extinct with one of Draco's icy glares.

        "Yeah right.  She's such a pathetic little dab of life, I wouldn't even consider it," he replied haughtily, digging into his waffles murderously.  Pansy smirked, ignoring the angry looks from her housemates- she had just put Draco Malfoy in a foul mood, and that was never good for the rest of them.

--

        "More sausages Ron?" Ginny asked her brother as politely as could be expected at eight in the morning.  Ron grabbed the platter away from her and started piling them on his plate.  Hermione made a face. 

        "Did you have to ask?" she replied instead of Ron, watching in amazement as he wolfed down three at a time.  He looked up at their shocked faces (this excluding Ginny of course: she was far too used to it to care) and raised an eyebrow.

        "What? I'm hungry," he said after swallowing the sausages painfully.

        "We noticed," Harry said, forking some pancakes on his plate carefully.  Ron shrugged and continued eating.  The rest laughed as they daintily sipped orange juice, pinky extended, just to show Ron what a pig he was being.  He stopped mid-bite and rolled his eyes, putting down his fork.    

        "OK, OK, point taken," he said grumpily, shoving his plate away from him.  There came a 'Hermione?' from somewhere behind Ron's head.  He whirled around quickly, almost knocking over the sausages in his hurry.  It was Terry Boot, holding a Charms book and looking increasingly sorry for ever coming to the table as Ron was starting to look dangerous.  

        "I-I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about yesterday's lesson," he stammered.  Ron nodded in satisfaction and turned back around, now that he had assessed that Terry wasn't out for Hermione's body.  Hermione kept her laughter in at seeing Ron so protective and nodded 'yes' to Terry. 

        "Sure, I'll meet you outside ok?" she replied.  Terry grinned.

        "All right.  See you later!"  He waved and walked back to his table.

        "Nice guy," Harry commented as he deposited a maple syrup sodden pancake bite in his mouth.  Ron grunted while Ginny nodded in agreement with Harry.

        "So quiet though…" she said, looking after the brown haired Ravenclaw.  Hermione shrugged.

        "You were quiet for the longest time," she pointed out.  Ginny flushed and started cutting up her pancakes.

        "Yes well, I'm not now am I?" she said hurriedly.  Ron rolled his eyes and checked his watch.

        "Hate to interrupt the fascinating discussion, but we've got half an hour until Charms and if Hermione's going to talk to Boot then she'd better hurry up," he cut in, emphasizing 'hurry up'.  Hermione glared but took the hint, shoveling the food down in a very Ron-like manner.  "See? Doesn't seem so ridiculous now does it?" Ron said happily, referring to the eating style.  Hermione ignored him, wiped her mouth, picked up her bag and left to go outside.  

        "Well I guess Dumbledore's plan worked with them two," Harry commented, wiping his own mouth of syrup.  Ginny smiled after Hermione's retreating back.

        "It's nice she has an intelligent friend to talk to," she said.

        "Hey!" Harry and Ron exclaimed, slightly offended.  Ginny giggled.

        "Oops, my bad."  

        "Well well, if it isn't my Hogsmeade _chum." Ginny gave Ron and Harry a stony look that plainly said Here-We-Go as Ron snarled and took out his wand._

        "Leave her alone Malfoy," he said threateningly.  Malfoy smirked.

        "No worries, I was just greeting her- we had the best time, didn't we?" he said sugar sweet.  Ginny looked up, fire dancing in her brown eyes.

        "If listening to a bunch of pathetic, desperate for a shag schoolboys exchange crude jokes is your idea of fun then yes, I had a lovely time."  Harry and Ron laughed, Ron looking more pleased now with his sister than ever before.

        "I hope you know- " his soon to be insult was cut short when Professor McGonagall's firm voice interrupted.

        "There's no trouble here, is there?" she asked, staring down at them beadily down her pointed nose.  Malfoy, Ginny and Harry shook their heads reluctantly, not especially eager to let the other walk away unscathed, but Ron turned around quickly and looked up at her with pleading eyes.

        "Please Miss, are we allowed to switch partners?  I'll take _anyone over her," he begged, glancing quickly at Pansy, who was talking to some girl with Latin features and glaring at him coincidentally.  McGonagall raised an eyebrow._

        "Certainly not Mr. Weasley.  Consider it a challenge."  With that, she swept away.  Malfoy looked down at him in amusement.

        "She's driving you mad."  It wasn't a question, but a statement.  Ron glared up at him, and noticing the 'up' part, decided to get off the bench.  At his full height he was equal in height to Malfoy, who wasn't very short at all.  Harry opted to get up as well, leaving poor Ginny in the shadow of the six foot tall guys.  

        "Let's put it this way- now I see why you two went to the Yule Ball together," Ron replied coolly, unlike his usually heated self.  Harry started laughing, and Ginny grinned in appreciation of the joke.  Malfoy scowled and stalked away- yes stalked, why on earth would he just _walk_ away when he can skulk, or stalk, or slink, or something with more alliteration?

*

        The next couple weeks passed without much notable incident.  Neville blew up his fourteenth cauldron, thus sending Seamus to the Hospital Wing with a smitten Blaise Zabini following the ashen boy up.  Hermione and Terry continued to have their academic conversations, while Harry and Hannah had only about two more meetings, both of which took longer than two hours.  Ginny and Malfoy avoided each other whenever possible, and unsurprisingly the same went for Ron and Pansy.  One day in Potions however, an unfortunate accident forced them to do otherwise…  

        "LONGBOTTOM!" Snape roared as Trevor the toad, now quite fat from Hogwarts leftovers, splashed into Tawny and Pansy's cauldron.  Neville cowered in fright, backing up into his chair and looking like he wanted to melt into a gooey puddle on the floor.  The girls shrieked in disgust as the moss green potion dripped all over their similarly green robes.  A few boys in the class imitated the shrieks while sniggering, causing Pansy to furiously flip them the middle finger.  "Now now Miss Parkinson, that is hardly necessary," Snape reprimanded her breezily.  Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged dark looks: if any Gryffindor had dared to do that in his class they'd be in detention until they died.  

        "This is disgusting Professor," Pansy declared, looking down at the slimy mess on her front.

        "Doesn't look any different," Draco commented snidely in the back to Carmen.  She laughed, which made Pansy narrow her eyes in dislike- even though Pansy knew Carmen was practically in love with the boy she didn't find that a good excuse for siding with him against her.  Although Pansy really hated to admit it too, Carmen's thick black hair and smoldering eyes probably was exactly the kind of features Draco wanted in a girl; despite her scoffs, Pansy still had some sort of fluttery feeling for the aristocratic blond.

        "Gee thanks Carmen," Pansy said sarcastically, shaking off her sodden hands and getting a few others wet as well.  They groaned and tried to move away, but the splatters of potion caught them.  

        "Oh great Parkinson," Dean said angrily, looking at the dots of potion on him.  Similar moans of protest echoed throughout the dungeon.  

        "Five points from Gryffindor," Snape said lazily, as though it were just instinct.  

        "That's not fair!" Ron howled miserably- Gryffindor was tied with Hufflepuff for last in the House Cup, and now with points gone they were sure to be dead last.  Despite Harry's success prior to the first Hogsmeade weekend, their points were sufficiently lacking.  Snape narrowed his eyes at him.  

        "Ten more points from Gryffindor, and if you utter another _syllable _I will make sure it's fifty."  Ron sighed grumpily, but didn't make a further comment.

        "Could I please go to the Hospital Wing to wash this filth?" Pansy asked impatiently.  Snape nodded curtly.

        "Be back as soon as possible Miss Parkinson."  Tawny opened her mouth in an 'o' of surprise, as only Goyle had ever left one of Snape's classes before due to injury.  Pansy just smirked and hurried out, hitting Draco on the head with her wand as she did.

        Ron watched her go sniggering, safely out of the view of Snape.  Now _that was something to tease her about!  Hermione was biting her lip, looking at them in disapproval but also fighting the mad urge to burst out laughing.  Harry was chuckling along with Ron, bent over his cauldron pretending to be meticulously adding ingredients.  _

        "She _is_ maddening," Harry mumbled lowly as Snape started coming around to check on all their potions.

        "I told you mate!" Ron crowed triumphantly, chopping up some Fennelweed Lettuce.  "Completely bonkers, that one."

        "Oh just stop complaining Ron!" Hermione exclaimed exasperatedly.  "Honestly, she can't be _so _bad, and what could be worse than your sister's partner?"  Draco, hearing this, straightened up in protest.  

        "I heard that you know," he informed them. 

        "Good," Hermione replied without moving her head.  "If I hear you say _one more word about Pansy in the duration of this entire year then I'm charming your freckles to move."  Ron's eyes widened and then he scowled._

        "Oh sod off you evil genius," Ron mumbled, making Hermione smile in satisfaction and triumph and turn back to her quietly simmering potion.  It really wasn't fair of her to do that; she'd been talking incessantly about her time with Boot for weeks now.  Besides, for some unknown reason seeing Hermione so happy with him made Ron angry.  Very angry.

        He shook his head, ridding his mind of these thoughts, when suddenly something very hot hit him in the back.  Arching his back in pain, Ron gritted his teeth together as he felt whatever it was scald him deeply.  Hermione gasped, hands to her mouth, as Harry leapt up and ran to Ron's back.  He straightened his glasses and looked closer at Ron's back as Ron closed his eyes trying not to cry; Lord knows he'd probably get points off for it, Snape being the git he was.  

        "What's going on Weasley?" Snape barked, having stopped temporarily from inspecting Dean and Seamus' potion.  

        "A bloody hot rod hit me in the back Professor," Ron said, straightening up and waving Harry way, his fist clenched as he felt the heat sizzle. Snape walked over to him and looked on his back. 

        "Five points from Gryffindor- can't you recognize a Flame Knob when you feel one?" he asked unpleasantly.  Ron fought very hard not to use his fist to rearrange Snape's face.  

        "Apparently not sir," Draco drawled from the back lazily.  Harry looked over at him and glared; a makeshift catapult made from the Potions tools was smoking slightly near Draco's elbow.  

        "Look Professor it was Draco he-" Harry began, but Snape cut him off. 

        "I don't have time for your prattle.  Weasley, get to the Hospital Wing."  Raising an eyebrow, Ron got up and complied, running out of the classroom as fast as possible.  Draco and his friends could barely suppress their laughter, spurred on by the Looks Hermione and Harry were giving them.   

        "Reckon that mustn't be too comfortable," was the last thing Ron heard Draco say as he closed the dungeon door behind him.

--

        "A Fire Knob?  Oh dear."  Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips in worry, clucking over Ron like a mother hen.  Pansy popped her head out of the cot she was sitting on and her hand flew to her mouth in an attempt to mask her laughter; Weasley was sitting on another cot with his back bent like a hunchback, his expression betraying the complete embarrassment he felt at the Pomp's fussing.  

        "Look I'm fine all right?  Just patch it up or something and I'll be on my way…" Ron was saying, trying to hop off the cot and pull down the back of his top.  

        "Sit _down _Mr. Weasley, you're not leaving here until I say you can leave!"  Ron groaned and sat back down.  This time, a giggle escaped Pansy- Ron looked up, his eyes wide with horror.  

        "So what happened Weasley?" Pansy taunted.  "Did you stick your hand in your cauldron or something?"

        "What about you?" he snapped back, clearly short of patience.  "Get splashed by a toad?" Pansy scowled and shut her mouth, defeated.  Ron smiled grimly, but was soon brought back to earth when Madam Pomfrey prodded the circle burn in the middle of his back with a cold finger.  He jumped and winced.

        "Steady on Madam P, it stings."  Pansy was about to make a snide comment about Ron having low pain tolerance when Madam Pomfrey sighed and put down her wand.

        "This must have been shot at a great velocity…I'm afraid this will be a scar."  She blew on it carefully, patted some icy blue gel on it and pulled his shirt back over his back.  Ron looked very angry.

        "Oh, he is going to get it!" he growled, a little stunned with the fact that he'd have a circular scar the size of a Muggle coaster the rest of his life.  Pansy's jaw dropped.

        "Draco did it?" she asked, knowing perfectly well the tone of voice Ron used to issue his threat.  Ron looked at her and nodded.  

        "Bloody ferret," he mumbled, getting off the cot.

        "He actually gave someone a _scar??" she gasped.  Ron rolled his eyes, trying not to show his lingering pain._

        "Surprised Parkinson?" Pansy frowned.  

        "Maybe."  Ron shrugged and started walking out the door. 

        "Better get back to class," he said as he pushed the doors open.  Pansy hopped off her cot and followed, sighing.  She nodded thanks and goodbye to Madam Pomfrey, who smiled gently and waved her on.  Pushing open the door, she looked right to left- Ron was nowhere to be seen.

        "What are you up to Draco?" she muttered to herself sighing, as she walked back to the dungeons.

--


	3. Trick or Treat

            Potions was over and they were safely in the Common Room where Snape couldn't take off any more points.  Worried about their friend, Harry and Hermione had run out of the dungeons, deaf to Snape's bellowing and deducting of points.  Ron hadn't been too pleased about that, and had vocalized this displeasure with many hand gestures and yells.  When they saw the scar though, through a rip Madam Pomfrey had made in order to get through to it, they proceeded to ignore his antics.

        "Ron!" Hermione gasped, reaching her hand out to touch it.  Her delicate fingers lightly grazed the scar, and she brought them back quickly as Ron flinched.

        "ARGGHHHH!!!" Ron roared, arching his back in pain.  A couple first years by the fire jumped and looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.  "Oh, go do homework or something," he mumbled under his breath, causing the kids to scatter.

        "He really got you," Harry stated, looking grim.  Ron shrugged, the pain lessening due to the cream Madam Pomfrey had applied earlier.

        "Yeah, I suppose he did.  Let's get out the streamers!" he said sarcastically, flopping onto a (previously occupied) armchair near the fire, and looked at it gloomily.

        Hermione seemed to be thinking for a moment before she yelled, "Ginny!" No response.  Scowling, she walked over to the bottom of the steps leading to the girls dormitories.  "Ginny Weasley!!!" Still no response.  Hermione sighed impatiently.  "VIRGINIA WEASLEY!" Ginny's flaming head popped out of a room.

        "What?" she asked irritably.  

        "Did Malfoy mention anything about Ron or Harry while you were with him?" she asked pleasantly.  Ginny sighed and came down the steps, clutching a book in her hands.

        "I was just at the good part," she grumbled morosely, holding up a '10 Ways to Raise a Ferret'.  Harry and Ron sniggered at the title but Hermione ignored it.

        "It's kind of important," she insisted, nodding towards Ron.  Ginny frowned and walked over; she looked at him and shrugged.  

        "He looks fine to me," she said, looking confused.  Hermione silently walked to Ron and turned him around so that his back was facing despite his protests ('Geroff Hermione!').  Ginny's eyes widened.  "How did that happen?"

        "Potions," Harry said bluntly.  "That stupid git flung something at him, no doubt on purpose."  Ginny narrowed her eyes and looked at the scar on her brother's back.

        "Ohhh, he really is a-"

*

        "-dim witted arse!" Draco laughed, clutching his side and sinking into a green couch comfortably, kicking off his shoes and placing his hands behind his head.  "Honestly, couldn't he feel it coming?  I had been much too nice all bloody week." Crabbe and Goyle snickered appreciatively, as Adrian and Marcus Flint howled with unpleasant, raucous laughter.  

        "Was it all planned?" Marcus wanted to know.  Inwardly, Draco cursed- one thing he prided himself on was not lying.  Sure, he'd maim and insult and curse, but lying…he never lied.  

        "He fell for it didn't he?" Draco skipped over the question, praying the distraction would work.  It did of course; Marcus and Adrian were now wiping their icy cold eyes of mirth while Crabbe and Goyle tried desperately to piece together what had happened in their tiny minds.  

        "That was, without a doubt, the most brilliant plan you've ever-"

        "-pretended to come up with."  Pansy was raising an eyebrow and leaning on the stair banister, now changed into green plaid (Slytherin style) pyjama bottoms and a gray tank top.  Draco rolled his eyes.

        "Who asked you Parkinson?  Isn't it time for 'girl talk'?" he mimicked Blaise's giggly voice, making Pansy sigh wearily and the guys laugh harder.  

        "They're getting ready for bed," she replied, referring to her group of Slytherin girls.  

        "Shame," Draco mused, tracing a green pillow's silver braiding pensively.  "I was hoping to run into that Carmen girl…"  Silently, Pansy seethed at the intended ruse; it had worked.  

        "Point is Draco," she snapped angrily, "is that you shouldn't take credit for something you didn't even mean to do.  Not _all _of us are complete dolts you know," she added, looking pointedly at Crabbe and Goyle.  They scratched their heads in unison, making them look even more apelike than before.  Rolling her eyes she turned back to a glaring Draco, separating her hair in the back to make two plaits.  "Besides," she continued, "he has a higher pain tolerance than you do- I seem to remember you whining in the Hospital Wing for a good two weeks after that Hippogryff attacked you."  This time, it was Pansy who came off triumphant; if it was possible, Draco's glare froze over more than it had before.  

        "Keep your ugly squashed nose out of this Parkinson," he hissed menacingly.  Pansy's lip curled, hiding the hurt he had inflicted by that comment.

        "At least my nose isn't sharp enough to slice meat," she retorted, looking with distaste at Draco's slightly upturned, but undeniably aristocratic, nose.  He stood up abruptly, and then without a word walked coolly to his dorms.  Pansy watched him leave with narrowed eyes.  "Berk," she muttered under her breath.  

        Having finished her plaits and being very tired, she trudged back upstairs, trying to ignore the sniggers of the boys she left behind by the fireplace.  God how she hated them both: Weasley and Malfoy.  

        They both made her infuriated.

--

        "Happy Hogsmeade Saturday!" sang a chirping voice.  Harry sprang out of bed, always having been an early riser.  On the contrary, Ron groaned and rolled over in protest.

        "It's too damn early Colin, sod off," came the muffled response from under Ron's pillow.  Colin bounced in, full of energy and film for his beloved camera.

        "But it's a beautiful day!" Colin replied, horrified at the lack of morning cheer.  "Look, I've even got pictures to prove it, if you stay there and wait a few minutes I'll develop them and show you…" 

        Harry grinned and rolled his eyes, getting up and running a hand through his messy hair in an attempt to flatten it; it failed.  "By the time you get them developed it'll be the _next_ Hogsmeade Saturday."  Colin gave a squeaky laugh before seeing the murderous look on Ron's face and scampering out of their room.  Dean, Seamus and Neville were just beginning to come awake, rubbing their eyes and yawning widely.  Harry looked down at Ron, whose status was 'In the Process of Trying to Go Back to Sleep'.  Harry sighed and kicked him lightly. Grunt.  "Get _up _Ron, you'll miss your date!" he teased.  Ron sat up immediately, face red with anger and exhaustion.  _Date?!?_

        "It's not- " he started as Harry cracked up laughing.

        "No worries Ronniekins, I wasn't being serious…besides, that'd be gross."  Ron laughed and nodded in agreement, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and pulling on some socks from the floor.  Harry made a face.

        "Oh be nice to the girl, at least try and _smell _decent!" he said, sounding an awful lot like Hermione.  

        "You sound like Hermione," Ron taunted.  Harry mocked a terrified face.

        "Oh NO!" he exclaimed, clutching the sides of his face.  Ron gave a loud laugh and fell off of the edge of the bed- to look up at a throughouly not amused Hermione Granger.  She raised an eyebrow at him as he hastily scrambled to his feet and Harry contained his laughter.

        "I trust you're getting ready for Hogsmeade," she greeted them sternly.  They nodded in unison, fighting not to laugh.  "I will see you downstairs shortly."  With a huff, she slammed the door behind her and even through the thick wood of it they could hear her stomping angrily down the stairs.  Ron collapsed on the floor, laughing.  

        "She's going to be exactly like McGonagall, I swear!" he gasped out, clutching his side.  Harry crossed over the room to the bathroom, where Neville was just walking out, chuckling.

--

        "What are you doing?" Pansy asked sharply, looking at Tawny suspiciously through her mussed up hair.  Tawny giggled and held up her wand, looking down on Pansy (huddled up on her bed) with a hungry look on her face.

        "I'm going to make some…improvements," she finished.  Pansy straightened up instantly, looking at her with more fright on her face than suspicion.  

        "Improvements?" she asked warily.  Blaise popped up behind her and held up her own wand.

        "You went into Hogsmeade looking such a fright last time," she explained.  Pansy's eyes widened; she jumped out of bed and sprinted for the bathroom as fast as she could go.  Blaise and Tawny watched her go and then broke out into identical twin grins of triumph.

        "Did she fall for it again?" Carmen's sleepy voice asked the conspirators.  They nodded, giggling to themselves.

        "Works like a charm," Tawny said proudly.

        "No pun intended," Pansy called from inside the bathroom, having heard this entire conversation and was now mentally ripping each and every one of them apart.  The girls looked at the closed bathroom door confusedly.

        "I made a pun?" Tawny asked, puzzled.  Blaise shrugged while Carmen made an indistinct movement of her shoulders beneath the layered sheets.  Millicent began stirring in her own bed- the Slytherin girls were up.  Pansy came out with her toothbrush in her mouth, brushing furiously.  Blaise and Tawny made disgusted faces at the accumulating foam in Pansy's mouth.  

        "Mff canmf beeweeft foo foult foo fhat," Pansy attempted to say around the toothpaste.

        "Pardon?" Blaise asked, tilting her head slightly.  Pansy ran back into the bathroom, spat out her toothpaste and rinsed out her mouth.  

        "I said, 'I can't believe you would do that!'" she repeated irritably.  

        "Well of course we would!" Carmen said, now sitting up against her bedpost and grinning a wicked smile.  "That's what we do best."  Pansy grinned back.

        "Trickery."

--

        It was a silent carriage ride to Hogsmeade this time; this was a relief to both Ron and Pansy, who were both too tired to really argue properly.  This also made Sally-Anne and Justin a lot more comfortable, so instead of listening to Ron and Pansy bickering they talked.  Pansy tapped on the window impatiently as Ron hummed something indistinct in his throat.  The ride seemed to last forever. 

        "Will you please _stop that incessant humming?!" Pansy snapped as Sally-Anne was telling Justin what she thought of Professor Flitwick.  Ron stopped abruptly._

        "The tapping?" he replied crossly.  Pansy scowled and folded her hands in her lap.  Ron grinned triumphantly.  "Thank you."  Pansy narrowed her eyes at him slightly, and as the carriage rolled to a stop, stuck her middle finger up at him rebelliously.  Ron hopped out of the carriage and clutched his heart in mockery.  "I'm hit!  Lord help me, I think the finger finished me off!"

        "Sod off Weasley," she spat at him, getting out of the carriage rather gracefully and stepping deliberately in a large puddle so that it splashed all over him.  Ron growled and tried in vain to wipe off his robes.  Pansy giggled at the futile attempt.  

        "These new dammit," he muttered, getting out his wand to do a cleaning spell.  He hesitated, looking down at his sodden robes not knowing quite what to do.

        "Oh for heaven's sakes!" Pansy exclaimed in frustration.  "_Cloroxium Cleanus!" She waved her wand and the muddy water extracted itself from her robes.  Ron didn't say anything, but shook out his robes rather disgruntled.  _

        "So..." Pansy looked around them; Zonko's and Honeyduke's lay before them.  "Trick or Treat?" she asked, waving to them.  Ron, thinking darkly of a certain pale blond boy, didn't need to think twice.

        "Trick," he replied, walking briskly towards Zonko's.  Pansy ran to catch up with Ron's lanky strides.  

        "What, following your brothers into the prank business?" she asked, slightly out of breath for trying to keep up.  Ron rolled his eyes.

        "Fred and George? Nah, I'd never be able to top them; just a harmless little prank…" he trailed off as they walked into the shop.  It was brightly lit up, with pranks stacked to the very ceiling and all around them.  Pansy looked on impatiently as Ron painstakingly made his way through the rows of tricks, muttering to himself.  "Not this one, he'd see it a mile away…Ginny already gave him that…no, much too simple…"

        Pansy sighed and looked behind her; she may not have liked Ron much, but at the moment Draco was top of the list in her Bad Graces.  "What about this one Weasley?"  Ron spun around and looked at the package in Pansy's hand- a smile twisted on his features.

        "Perfect."  Pansy remained motionless, face blank, as Ron snatched it out of her hands and walked up to the counter, getting out his money as the cashier rang it up.  Pansy shrugged, albeit a little surprised he had agreed so quickly, and turned to her right to see a large mirror; what she saw displeased her.

        She had deliberately kept her hair as messy as possible, just to spite her dorm mates.  The plaits were falling out all over the place but still largely in tact.  Her eyes looked sleepy and half closed, for once not done up with mascara and other eyeshadows that Carmen regularly provided her with.  Her nose, she noted with dissatisfaction, really was a little squashed- a Malfoy never lies.  Scowling darkly now, she turned to face Ron at the counter.

        "Do you have the money or not?" the cashier demanded, annoyed.  Ron, embarrassed, dug deeper into his pockets, trying to find a couple more Sickles.  Pansy checked her Muggle watch and bit her lip; they were going to be late for that reservation she made at the Three Broomsticks (she was sure she'd need a break for some Butterbeer during their excursion) if he didn't hurry up.  She sighed and with lightening speed, drew out her coin purse and plopped three Sickles on the counter.  The cashier raised an eyebrow.

        "Do you want the money or not?" Pansy imitated, glaring dangerously at the girl, who couldn't have been more than 21.  Ron looked at Pansy out of the corner of his eyes, slightly grateful; maybe she wasn't such a…infuriating pug faced Slytherin freak after all.

--

**A/N: **Reponses! For the first time in ages, I'm going to do individual thanks:

**Casper****: coming from you, that's a HUGE compliment…*grins* _"__whoda__ thunk that they could be like the opposite version of hermione and draco?" not me, lol. Thanks for reviewing._**

**Alias: **as I mentioned before, you gave me THE longest review ever! I owe you for that you know. :) I tried to give you guys more insight into Ron and Pansy in these last two chapters, I hope I did it all right…oh, and I saw the type- I smacked my head and was like 'doy!' hehe-

 **Michiru**:** Nope, not a one shot! Here's your update, and thanks for reviewing!**

**Tigerbrat88: **thanks for reviewing! Hehe, glad you liked the line, I was pretty pleased with it myself. 

**Beboppin****' Betty: Thank you! Pansy's a lot like me in these fics, ha ha.  And Snape is always pretty hateful…maybe I overdid it. *sheepish grin***

**Dashing bluecoat: **you said it! I didn't even _know there were R/P stories around, I'm guessing you're a fan. Thanks for reviewing, do the same again! Lol_

**Darcel****: There's a _group _for this ship? Whoa, I just thought I was being random. Lol, guess not…cool stuff anyway. Thanks for the link.**

**Paperdoll****: *prods you with a stick* wake up! review! :P lol**

**The Lost Weasley: **hey! Sorry I made Blaise so ditzy here, normally it'd be Pansy but…yeah I can't hehe.

**Lulu81: ***beams* you said I've got talent! You're very cool! Lol, thank you so much for the compliments, you made my day.

**Marie Vulffe: **hey thanks for reviewing! Lol, you never know until you try, right? Right. Btw, that's an interesting pen name…any reason for it?

--

I PROMISE that next time, Ron and Pansy will meet up with other people from school…more witty dialogue (I hope!)…all in all just a better chapter. Please review!


	4. Take a Picture

OH MY GOD it's been almost two months!!! I'm SO SO SO SO sorry!!!! I would've killed me if I weren't…umm, me…anyway. Not going to keep you any longer..

---

        "Grab Creevey's camera and take a picture- it lasts longer," Pansy's voice said irritably as Ron mused over her unexpected generosity.  

        "What?  Oh. Funny," Ron said flatly, grabbing the bag off the counter and shoving it in his robe pocket.  Pansy smirked and turned around sharply, hitting Ron in the face with her messy plait (A/N: 'braid' for all my American friends!).  

        "I am so full of the wit," she replied mischievously, walking towards the exits of Zonko's, with difficulty due to the crowds of students blocking their war.  Ron weaved his way through following Pansy's blonde head as he dodged.  A few minutes later, they had made it successfully made their way outside.

        "OK.  Now what?" Pansy had started to say when a sudden cry came from somewhere behind them.

        "Pansy?" Pansy turned around and her jaw dropped.

        "Matti!" she exclaimed, dropping her satchel in the snow and running to the grinning strawberry blonde standing near the door of Gladrag's.  She looked about 18 or so, was Pansy's average height, and her hair was cut in a flipped pixie cut.  The girl set down her carrier bags and patchwork bag and grinned as Pansy hurried over.  They hugged and Pansy drew back, looking at the girl curiously.  "What are you doing here?  I thought Salem didn't get on hols until we did?"  Ron mentally smacked himself for not recognizing the American accent earlier. 

        Matti laughed.  "Well I got bored.  So I decided to pop over to merry old England!  Principal Mitren will never know the difference."  Ron raised an eyebrow and picked up Pansy's satchel, looking at the girl and trying to find a name in his head.  The girls continued to chat, oblivious of his presence.  

        "This is fab!" Pansy squealed, linking arms with her.  "I have a reservation at the Three Broomsticks, want to pop in?  It's our local pub, or bar as you call it."  They had started to walk towards it happily when they heard a loud clearing of the throat behind them.

        "Ahem!" Ron coughed loudly, holding up Pansy's satchel and motioning his head towards Professor McGonagall, who was standing guard just across the street and not looking happy.  Pansy turned her head and groaned audibly.

        "Oh right.  Matti, meet Weasley.  Weasley, Matti."  Matti looked behind her as well and upon seeing Ron wheeled Pansy back hurriedly.

        She extended a hand boldly to the annoyed Ron.  "Matilda Parkinson, you can call me Matti."  Ron shook it hesitantly as Matti gave him a huge smile.  "I'm Pansy's cousin, mother's side."  

        "Ron Weasley," Ron replied cautiously, looking the girl up and down.  Not _too bad looking, as far as girls go, although she was a bit on the chubby side (A/N: RON'S opinion, not mine!!).  Far too energetic and friendly to be Pansy's cousin though- did the nastiness skip her or something?_

        Matti was now looking at the two of them interestedly.  "Is this your boyfriend Pansy?" Ron pretended to gag as Pansy hastened to explain.

        "Far from it; Dumbledore had this new crackpot idea that we should pair off and get to know someone outside our house…I got stuck with Weasley," she added in distaste.  Ron scowled as Matti grinned yet again.

        "Uh huh, uh huh…say, I'm dying over here.  Can we get some of those drinks you offered before?" she asked suddenly.  

        Pansy shrugged.  "Don't see why not…we'll wangle a third place somehow or other."  

        "Can I just make my escape back to the castle now?" Ron cut in moaning, shoving the satchel at her.  Pansy glared at him.

        "No.  McGonagall will have kittens and Lord knows we don't need any more bitchy feline hybrids around."  Ron sighed angrily but didn't say anything to the contrary.  Matti, meanwhile, was giggling to herself.

        "'Have kittens?' That's so cute!" she said through giggles.  Simultaneously, the younger pair glared at her making her subside quickly.  

        "Right.  Let's be off then," Pansy said, leading them to the pub across the street.  Ron rolled his eyes but trudged beside her, feeling a little out of place as the Parkinsons had their arms linked now and were happily chatting without him.

--

        "How did this happen?" Ron asked Ginny ten minutes later, squished into a line of booths pushed together to fit everyone.  The instant they had entered through the door they had been pounced on by all of Pansy's friends, only a couple of which Ron knew by name.  Before he knew it, they had all crammed in together giggling like a pack of Parvatis and Lavenders, with a few Slytherin boys thrown in for good measure.  Fortunately (or unfortunately…depends on your point of view) for Ron, Draco was one of them, meaning that Ginny was at the table too.  Ginny shrugged and took a sip of her Coconut Cream Float.

        "Dunno…Malfoy just kind of spotted them and dragged me over.  It was all so fast!" she added dramatically, making Ron chuckle.  

        "It's mad, this whole thing…and we got the worst deals if you ask me," Ron said, motioning towards their partners who were now in the midst of laughing unnaturally loud at one of Matti's jokes.  Ginny rolled her eyes and, to Ron's surprise, smiled slightly.

        "He's definitely a character," she agreed, setting down her now empty glass.  Ron straightened up sharply.

        "What do you mean by that Ginny?" he asked carefully, putting down his own bottle.  She looked up, saw the look on his face and started laughing.

        "Oh Ron, do shut up.  I'm not starting to like him by any measure, just a sort of…reluctant respect.  The dislike is mutual," she replied grinning.

        "Are you starting to read Hermione's books Gin?" Ron asked in confusion.  Ginny laughed.

        "The day I do is the day Malfoy becomes a zookeeper," she retorted giggling, making Ron laugh as well.  Suddenly, someone plopped themselves down next to Ron, making him jump and then look.  Seamus Finnegan, looking slightly rumpled but very cheerful, grinned at Ron and winked at Ginny, making her blush furiously. "Welcome to our merry party," Ron greeted him glumly.  Seamus chortled and took a swig of a Butterbeer he had brought from the main counter.  

        "Cheers mate," he said, putting the bottle down next to Ron's.  "So how are your dates?" he asked them with a twinkle in his eye.  

        "When will people stop asking me that?!?" Ron asked furiously, turning the same shade as his trademark hair.  Seamus howled with laughter at the indignant look on Ron's face, and his condition wasn't improved when he saw Ginny's look of equal protest.  

        "Oh relax, I was just pulling yer leg…but hey, I got a nice one didn't I?" he said, nudging Ron and grinning adorably at Blaise across the tables, who giggled and smiled back shyly.  "Nice lass, once you get to know her.  Snorts a bit when she laughs though."  

        "So Weasley," a sudden amused voice interrupted, making everyone who had been previously chatting silent.  Ron and Ginny both looked up.  "Gorilla Weasley, not Mouse Weasley," Draco said pointedly.  Pansy sniggered with her friends as Ginny glared and Ron scowled.  

        "Steady on Malfoy, I beg to differ- Ginny looks much more like a little fox than a mouse!" Seamus teased good naturedly.  Draco's expression twisted unpleasantly.

        "Didn't ask your opinion Finnegan," he said.  

        "Since when do I give a Hippogryff shit?" he retaliated chuckling.  Draco narrowed his eyes but ignored him, choosing instead to go back to tormenting Ron.

        "How's the back Weasley?  Did Pomfrey fix the boo boo?" he taunted maliciously.  Ron got up to beat the living crap out of him but Ginny leaned across and laid a restraining hand on his arm as Seamus pulled him back down.  Draco smirked.

        "It gets old really fast Malfoy," Ginny said angrily, looking at him.  

        "_I'm_ still laughing," he replied in amusement.  Ginny chose not to reply to this, and instead took out a Charms book and began to read it.  "Weasley, your book is upside down," Draco said smirking more broadly now.  Ginny flushed and turned it over without a word.

        "I happen to like reading upside down," she mumbled, looking at the words in front of her determinedly.  Draco snickered and leaned back comfortably.  

        "Yup, I reckon that bush haired Granger went rushing for him as soon as he limped his way out of the Hospital wing…probably kissed the spot, made it feel all better…" Draco trailed off nastily, leering across the table at Ron like a Halloween pumpkin.  Ron flushed with anger but after one look at his friend, Seamus cut in amicably, as always.

        "That's not a very attractive look on you Malfoy…shall we start calling you Jack?" Seamus gibed in a jolly manner, lifting his bottle to his lips and taking a good long, Irish swig.  

        "Oh so funny Finnegan," Malfoy drawled sarcastically.  "Your wit is surprisingly boring."  

        "That's it," Ron said suddenly, clunking his bottle on the table noisily.  "We're out of here, 'chaperones' or not.  Come on Gin, Seamus."  Seamus shrugged, downed the rest of his Butterbeer and got up (but not before winking cheekily at Blaise, who giggled and blushed).  Ginny bit her lip, eyes darting to the door where Professor Sinistra was sitting on a barstool watchfully, but after a moment's hesitation gave a piercing glare to Draco and followed her brother.  

        "Oh _that's_ nice," Pansy said after they had all watched the doors swing and shut.  "Kind of ironic really, the _Gryffs_ bailing out on _us."_

        Her cousin slurped up the rest of her Mintberry milkshake and grinned.  "I think they're fun- and that red headed bloke is something."  Pansy and Draco's jaws simultaneously dropped.

        "Are you joking?" Pansy gawked.  Matti shrugged, not faltering under the glares of her two blond companions.  

        "No; from what I got from that little fight, you three got the most interesting ones you could've," she replied, nodding to Blaise, Draco and Pansy.  

        "You're serious," Pansy realized in horror.  Matti giggled.  

        "Come on, you have to admit…he's kind of cute."  Pansy opened and closed her mouth like a bad impression of a tuna while Draco laughed.

        "Yes, do tell Parkinson- isn't Weasley just the dreamiest bit of love pudding ever?" Draco exclaimed sarcastically, batting his eyelashes.  The bar went silent at the loud exclamation.  Pansy smirked as Draco went an ashy gray.  

        "It was a JOKE!"

--

        "I hate Slytherins," Ron grumbled bitterly, kicking some snow into the air and hearing a squeal as it landed on his sister.  "Oops, sorry Gin."  Ron grinned apologetically but all he got in return was a snowball in the face.  As he wiped it off, he could hear Seamus guffawing loudly and Ginny giggling.  "Very funny," he said grinning, tossing the snow onto the ground.  

        "You…should have…seen your face!" Seamus gasped, clutching his side for support.  

        "Are you sure about that?" Ron asked rolling his eyes.  Suddenly, Seamus looked behind Ron and his laughs started tapering off into little wheezes.  "What's up with you?" Ron asked curiously, turning around.  He gagged when he saw a tall, black robed professor looking unpleasantly down at him.  "Ah."

        "Mr. Weasley…Mr. Finnegan…Miss Weasley…" Snape checked them off on his white fingers, raising a black eyebrow at them all.  

        "We were just…ah…"

        "-getting our partners something from Zonko's sir," Ginny cut in smoothly.  The eyebrow didn't leave its position.

        "Is that so?" he asked incredulously.

        "Yes," she replied, nodding sincerely.  "Mal- _Draco_ wanted a Blood Lollipop, and since I was done with my drink I figured 'why not?'" Looking up earnestly, Ginny waited with bated breath for Snape to pass his judgment.  Seamus and Ron looked on in awe and anticipation.

        "Reckon she's dead?" Ron mumbled to Seamus out of the corner of his mouth.  

        "Hard to say…"

        "Well," Snape said, drawing himself up importantly.  "I will certainly be asking Mr. Malfoy if he got a," his lip curled, "_Blood_ Lollipop tomorrow."  He swept away, cloaks billowing behind him.  Ginny sighed in relief as the two boys came up to her in disbelief.

        "No detention!" Seamus cried, shaking Ginny's hand gravely, making Ginny giggle and blush.  

        "Well, now we have to go buy Malfoy a Blood Flavored Lollipop," Ron said, grinning.  Ginny groaned and started trudging through the thick snow to Zonko's, across the street.

        As they followed in her wake, Seamus and Ron could hear her saying, "Pain in the arse necrophiliac creep…"

--

okay, so not a lot of Pansy/Ron scenes but I thought this was pretty good. J  review please!


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